Neighbour News Farewell 2020!

Here is a little something for you

to read and enjoy as we say

goodbye to 2020.

Pooh woke up that morning, and, for

reasons that he didn't entirely

understand, couldn't stop the tears

from coming. He sat there in bed, his

little body shaking, and he cried, and

cried, and cried. Amidst his sobs, the

phone rang. It was Piglet.

"Oh Piglet," said Pooh, between sobs,

in response to his friend's gentle

enquiry as to how he was doing. "I

just feel so Sad. So, so, Sad, almost

like I might not ever be happy again.

And I know that I shouldn't be feeling

like this. I know there are so many

people who have it worse off than

me, and so I really have no right to

be crying, with my lovely house, and

my lovely garden, and the lovely

woods all around me. But oh, Piglet: I

am just SO Sad."

Piglet was silent for a while, as Pooh's

ragged sobbing filled the space

between them. Then, as the sobs

turned to gasps, he said, kindly: "You

know, it isn't a competition."

"What isn't a competition?" asked a

confused sounding Pooh.

"Sadness. Fear. Grief," said Piglet. "It's

a mistake we often make, all of us. To

think that, because there are people

who are worse off than us, that that

somehow invalidates how we are

feeling. But that simply isn't true. You

have as much right to feel unhappy

as the next person; and, Pooh - and

this is the really important bit - you

also have just as much right to get

the help that you need."

"Help? What help?" asked Pooh. "I

don't need help, Piglet.

"Do I?"

Pooh and Piglet talked for a long

time, and Piglet suggested to Pooh

some people that he might be able

to call to talk to, because when you

are feeling Sad, one of the most

important things is not to let all of the

Sad become trapped inside you, but

instead to make sure that you have

someone who can help you, who

can talk through with you how the

Sad is making you feel, and some of

the things that might be able to be

done to support you with that.

Finally, Piglet asked Pooh to open his

window and look up at the sky, and

Pooh did so.

"You see that sky?" Piglet asked his

friend. "Do you see the blues and the

golds and that big fluffy cloud that

looks like a sheep eating a carrot?"

Pooh looked, and he could indeed

see the blues and the golds and the

big fluffy cloud that looked like a

sheep eating a carrot.

"You and I," continued Piglet, "we are

both under that same sky. And so,

whenever the Sad comes, I want you

to look up at that sky, and know that,

however far apart we might be

physically...we are also, at the same

time, together. Perhaps, more

together than we have ever been

before."

"Do you think this will ever end?"

asked Pooh in a small voice.

"This too shall pass," confirmed Piglet.

"And I promise you, one day, you

and I shall once again sit together,

close enough to touch, sharing a

little smackerel of something...under

that blue gold sky."

We all need a piglet in our lives.

Wishing everyone a safe and

merry end to 2020.

Allison Yee-Brogan,

General Manager

Inside:

1. Welcome

2. Our News

3. 5 Senses Garden Workshops

4. In a Neighbour’s Garden

5. Client Corner

6. December Outings

7. January Outings

8. February Outings

9. Out and About

12. COVID-19 Who to Call

Summer

Edition

Nov 2020

Issue 109

2

Our News A Very Different Christmas

Our aim is to finish this year safely and strongly.

It won’t be a normal festive season this year

due to COVID-19 concerns. In keeping with

current guidelines, we will not be promoting

large gatherings for the health and safety of our

community. We will not be holding the

following events:

Client Christmas Party

Volunteer Christmas

function and

Very Merry Christmas

Breakfast.

Office Closure over Xmas and New Year

Our office will be closed from Wednesday 23

December 2020 and will re-open on

Monday 11 January 2021.

Staff News

The Torres twins are growing and are more and

more beautiful every day. Say hello to

Flordeluna and Milagros (with Mama Emma

and Papa Camilo).

Board News

At our October Annual General Meeting, we

welcomed all returning board members for

another year. Thank you to our continuing

office bearers, Ben Lever, Chairperson,

Jeanette Gilbert, Treasurer and Francesca

Grace, Secretary. We also welcome Alison Muir

who has joined our amazing volunteer board.

Alison has qualifications in business, and

governance and has a wealth of experience in

administration, management and business

development within the not for profit sector.

Congratulations to Lesley

Hambusch (Board Member) and

family on their special news.

Baby Benjamin is such a cutie!

Welcome Maja

Hi! My name is Maja and I am the

new Garden Aid Team Leader. I

grew up in the area and believe

that it’s a special place in the

world. I have a Bachelor of

Science, majoring in

Environmental Biology and have

worked in bush regeneration as well as being a

chef. Recently, before the pandemic, I worked

as a chef in Switzerland and learnt to ski while I

was there. I enjoy nature, long walks and have

an interest in waste management. I was

attracted to Inner West Neighbour Aid because

of the innovative programs that help people as

they age. I am excited to start my new position

and meet our amazing community!

Maja Sorensen, Garden Aid Team Leader

Scam Alert

The Department of Health has issued a

statement that a client of My Aged Care in

Western Australia received a phone call from

someone claiming to be from My Aged Care.

The caller asked for $25 and the client’s bank

account details to register with My Aged Care.

Please be aware this is not how My Aged Care

operates - there is no cost to register. If you

receive a call from anyone claiming to be from

My Aged Care asking for money, bank details

or behaving suspiciously please hang up, and

report the incident to SCAMwatch. If you need

any assistance, please contact Inner West

Neighbour Aid on 9799 5099.

https://www.scamwatch.gov.au

Marika Vazouras, Client Services Officer

3

5 Senses Garden Workshops

We know that you have missed the Workshops

at the 5 Senses Garden so we would like to

invite you to a morning tea to welcome you

back! We would love to hear what you have

been up to in this trying time. The 5 Senses

Garden has been busy growing while we have

been isolating and we would love to show you

the plants that have filled in!

The Workshops took a break during the

pandemic but we will be back in 2021 with

COVID-19 Safety measures in place. Workshops

will look a little different in the future to ensure

your safety.

There will be a cap on the amount of people

attending the Workshops in line with COVID-

19 regulations

People are to maintain a healthy distance of

1.5m apart

We will provide disposable masks, gloves,

hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial spray at all

Workshops

Surfaces will be

wiped down

thoroughly before

and after use

Food handling will be managed safely and

responsibly by Inner West Neighbour Aid staff

There are limited numbers available for the

bus

If you are unwell or have visited a known

COVID-19 hotspot, we request that you stay

home and stay safe

We can’t wait to discuss our new ideas with you

and hear your input about what you would like

to see at the Workshops in 2021.

Maja Sorensen, Garden Aid Team Leader

There is limited capacity for the Workshops so

book in early! If you require transport or wish to

book in please call us on 9799 5099.

4

In a Neighbour’s Garden

Summer Gardening

Nearly everyone is told to eat more fresh fruit

and veggies and exercise more. No matter

your age these two things are key to a healthy

and active life.

The global pandemic has only highlighted this

more. With people working from home,

isolating, not going to the shops and the rising

costs of fresh fruit and veggies, people are

taking up gardening to help achieve both and

live more sustainable, happy lives.

By growing some produce at home, you not

only have the added resource of fresh greens

(literally) at your door step but looking after

your garden is a great way to do some light

exercise and get some fresh air too. Gardening

also helps prevent and manage some chronic

diseases such as type-2 diabetes, it is also a

proven mood booster, so is great for your

mental health.

In November there is no shortage of easy to

grow veggies you could plant such as; beans,

beetroot, broccoli, Chinese cabbage,

capsicum, cucumber, eggplant, endive,

lettuce, melons, okra, onion, parsnip, potato,

pumpkin, radish, rhubarb, rosella, silver beet,

spring onion, squash, sweet corn, sweet

potato, tomato and zucchini.

Our Amazing Garden Volunteers

Our volunteers are some of the most inspiring

people that I have ever met. Each week these

generous and kind people come out and get

their hands dirty to help our community. Simply

put, we couldn’t do what we do without them.

They are the lifeblood of our organisation.

Hello Heidi

Why do you volunteer your time with

Neighbour Aid?

When I first joined Neiohbour Aid, it was for a

selfish reason – to fill in time. I had just retired

and was looking for things to do. As a trial

turned into a longing, looking forward to that

text message for next gardening address. I

have learnt short cuts and

have driven through some

beautiful streets in the inner

west.

I fell in love with getting my

hands and knees dirty, with

the smell of the pulled out

onion weeds, with the

colours of flowers and

foliage. Every garden has

been so different.

And what can I say, the excitement when

someone yells out ‘morning tea’!!!

How long have you been gardening with us?

I joined in 2016 and I hope to continue as long

as my body allows.

What is your favourite memory in a client’s

garden?

Back in September 2018, we did a garden on

the busy Concord Road at Concord West. The

garden was a bit overgrown and you could

not see anything from the street. As we

progress clearing here and there, high and

low, there were surprises every time you turn.

Lots of ornamental displays that

complemented the vegetation and

landscape. We even found and cleared a

path that the owner had forgotten about.

We were treated to an old Chinese mahjong

set. A real treasure of a garden! Wish we could

re-visit it!

What is your favourite plant?

I do not have a favourite plant. I like them all as

long as they are not too spiky.

What is your favourite thing to cook?

I love baking. The no-bake cheese cake and

citrus syrup butter cake are my favourite.

Any gardening tips?

Success comes from failure. Just give it a go.

3 things you would choose if stranded on an

island:

A hammock, a pen knife and a plastic rain

coat. I am a practical person!

Roman Deguchi, Garden Projects Coordinator

5

Client Corner

Better Together

People love to categorise things. Grouping things

together to help make sense of the world. But that

doesn’t mean the names can’t be silly or funny.

Here are some collective nouns for animals that

may surprise you.

Bears: a sloth or sleuth

Cats: a clowder or glaring

Ferrets: a business

Giraffes: a tower

Jellyfish: a smack

Owls: a parliament

Parrots: a pandemonium

Rhinoceroses: a crash

Sharks: a shiver

Skunks: a stench

Tigers: an ambush or streak

Toads: a knot

Penguins: a waddle (when on land) or a raft (when

in the water)

Tourists: a flock of From Old English “flocc” (crowd).

Witches: a coven

Husbands: an unhappiness

Wives: an impatience. For some reason collective

nouns for partners are generally negative!

Butlers: a draught of butlers. A butler’s duties

include looking after wines and liquor stored in the

“buttery” (a room) by taking regular draughts to

test for taste and quality.

Fishermen: a drift / sulk / grumble. These collective

terms for fishermen suggest they’re not the

happiest group of people!

How to Stick Together: A Lesson on

togetherness from the Emperor

Penguin

The emperor penguin

(Aptenodytes forsteri) is the

tallest and heaviest of all living

penguin species and is

endemic to Antarctica. They

show what can be achieved

when individuals work together.

The only penguin species that

breeds during the harsh

Antarctic winter, emperor penguins trek 50–120

km over the ice to breeding colonies which

can contain up to several thousand individuals.

The female lays a single egg, which is

incubated for just over two months by the male

while the female returns to the sea to feed.

Parents take turns foraging at sea; up to 500km

from the colony and at depths of up to 550m

before returning to the colony to take their turn

caring for their chick.

As a defence against the cold, a colony of

emperor penguins forms a compact huddle

(also known as the turtle formation) ranging in

size from ten to several hundred birds, with

each bird leaning forward on a neighbour. As

the wind chill is the least severe in the middle of

the turtle formation, all the juveniles are usually

huddled there. Those that find themselves on

the outside windward side, shuffle around to

the leeward edge, producing a slow churning

action, giving each bird a turn on the warm

inside and the freezing outside of the group.

Using these behaviours, emperor penguins are

able to not only survive, but thrive and multiple

through the cold dark night of an Antarctic

winter.

Stuart Blundell, Garden Aid Team Leader

6

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9

Out and About

Outings Highlights

I hope all clients stay safe and well over the

festive season.

In December: We have booked a talk at the

Maritime Museum with a walk through the

Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.

We will then wander over for lunch at

Pancakes on the Rocks, Darling Harbour.

In January: We will be returning to the

beautiful Kirribilli Club on the north side of the

harbour. Also, a bit closer to the inner west, we

are checking out the Cockatoo Hotel in

Petersham for a fabulous pub lunch and of

course an all-time favourite, the Massey Park

Golf Club.

In February: To celebrate our glorious Sydney

summer, we will be grabbing some fish and

chips at Watsons Bay, lunch at Yarra Bay Sailing

Club overlooking Yarra Bay and Botany Bay

and lunching at the Malabar RSL. We will also

have a long awaited return to Flower Power for

some much needed garden therapy and

supplies.

Lara Allen, Social Support Worker

Dog Walking and Adoptions

Dog walking volunteers

resumed in October with a mix

of returning and new

volunteers and dogs! All our

volunteers have had a

refresher induction with the

introduction of new COVID-19

safety procedures and have

been loaned our new Inner

West Neighbour Aid dog

leashes that match our volunteer lanyards.

Interest and enquiries are very popular with

Inner West locals and we have a number of

people hoping to be of assistance to clients

with dogs who may not get out and about as

much as they or their owners would like.

If you have a dog that you think might enjoy a

walking buddy please contact Tina or Jacqui

and we can have a chat about your needs.

Jacqui Elliott, Volunteer and Events Coordinator

Tina Craigen, Social Support Worker

10

Out and About

‘A good life is not lived in isolation. A good

life is lived at the heart of a thriving

community, amongst people we trust, and

within an environment of mutual respect’

~ Hugh Mackay

As we farewell 2020 it is a great time to reflect

on this year. It has been one like no other and

we are so proud at Neighbour Aid that we

have weathered the storm and continued to

deliver services to you and remain connected.

Our Alive & Kicking program recommenced in

September 2020. We were so happy to see

familiar and enthusiastic faces ready to start.

Everyone has done really well over the

extended break keeping up some form of

movement and exercise. Many clients

reported that they practiced their exercises

over the break. Fleur is so impressed with the

dedication and motivation of all clients to

keep this up. We are all better together

supporting each other. We have also moved

locations this year to Strathfield Town Hall. This

is going well and clients have commented on

the great clean and light-filled space. In 2021

we will return with a variety of guest speakers

and activities.

If you are interested in our Alive & Kicking

program please call Jackie, Lara or Tina for

more information.

Outings continue to be popular and we are

pleased to see those who are attending

enjoying each other’s company. During 2021

Neighbour Aid will travel further afield as

restrictions ease and government advice is

given. Everyone who has attended has been

mindful and cooperative of our COVID-19

procedures. Thank you for this. As staff and

volunteers attending outings we notice how

happy everyone is to return and reconnect

with their friends. It is often a very noisy bus

with everyone sharing their experiences during

Neighbour Aid’s hiatus. Being together is what

carries us through uncertain times.

We hope to see many more of you in 2021. For

some it may take a while to decide when the

time is right to return to activities. If you have

any concerns about returning to outings

please call our office to chat with one of our

staff members.

On behalf of the Social Support Team, we wish

you a safe and happy festive break and look

forward to returning bigger and better in 2021.

Jackie Walters, Social Support Coordinator

It was such a joy to see Fleur and Alive &

Kicking clients looking so happy and bright on

Melbourne Cup Day.

11

Out and About

Strathfield Aged Day Care Centre

In September 2020 we welcomed Strathfield

Aged Day Care Centre to the Inner West

Neighbour Aid community with special

morning teas. It was a great opportunity to

introduce the team and get to know one

another. Moreover, a chance to chat and find

out more about clients and their interests.

We were delighted to meet a fantastic group

of independent seniors who are happy to be

back at the Centre and excited to re-connect

with their friends.

We commenced regular activities in October

and have found that everyone is enjoying

themselves, relaxing and happy to share

stories.

Our exercise program is a hit and promotes

getting active with gentle exercises, ball

games and movement to music. We have

been enjoying intellectual stimulation with fun

quizzes and have purchased a brand new

bingo set for those keen bingo players.

We look forward to expanding our

activities in the near future with fun

art projects and time outdoors and

in the garden.

Alison Kelly, Senior Social Support Worker

Masks

Wearing a mask helps to

reduce community

transmission. If used

correctly, masks may

prevent sick people from

infecting others.

A mask is not a substitute

for good hand hygiene and physical

distancing.

Neighbour Aid provides single-use masks from

reputable retail outlets to clients and volunteers

for our programs.

Cloth masks are effective in reducing

transmission of COVID-19 to other people when

they are made, worn, stored and cleaned

correctly. If you wish to wear your own re-

usable cloth mask at our programs: you will

need more than one reusable mask as cloth

masks are less effective when damp. Cloth

masks should be washed after each use or at

least daily. Reusing a cloth mask without

washing it can lead to self-contamination and

infection of the person wearing it.

Source: NSW Department of Health website

12

COVID-19 Who to Call

If you feel unwell

If you feel unwell, call your GP to discuss your

symptoms. If you think you might have COVID-

19 call the National Coronavirus Helpline for

information and advice.

National Coronavirus Helpline 1800 020 080

If you feel unsure about things

If you need support or are experiencing

emotional distress, please reach out:

Talk to someone you trust.

Contact your GP, a counsellor,

psychologist or psychiatrist.

Visit a hospital emergency department.

If your life is in danger call emergency

services on 000

If you are feeling worried or anxious

about COVID-19:

Check out https://headtohealth.gov.au/

covid-19-support/covid-19

A new support line has been set up to

provide information, support and to check

on the wellbeing of older Australians. This

phone service is run by the Council on the

Ageing Australia, National Seniors

Australia, Dementia Australia and the

older Person’s Advocacy Network with

support from the Australian Government.

Older Person’s COVID-19 Support Line

1800 171 866

Other supports available includes:

Relationships Australia: 1300 022 966. Time

2 Talk is a free telephone support service

helping people navigate COVID-19

challenges with a focus on social

connection.

Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14. You don't

need to face your problems alone. Lifeline

is available 24 hours, every day.

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or 1800 512 348

Headspace: 1800 650 890.

Open Arms: 1800 011 046 Veterans &

Families Counselling.

MensLine Australia: 1300 789 978. Support

for Australian men anywhere, any time.

Phone and online counselling.

QLife: 1800 184 527.